Sweaty Singapore & A Big Fat Indian Wedding (SQ F, EY F (Jetihad), Park Hyatt HYD)
Oct 27, 2015, 9:50 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
Oct 28, 2015, 5:09 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: yyz
Posts: 1,611
Honestly? The non-über luxury experience TRs are sometimes quite valuable. This TR reassured me that flying Firefly would be OK... sometimes reading about simple things that don't involve lashings of Krug and caviar can be interesting.
That doesn't mean we don't appreciate the food-focused stuff. So keep that coming!
Last edited by grandgourmand; Oct 28, 2015 at 5:21 am
Oct 28, 2015, 10:20 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
Honestly? The non-über luxury experience TRs are sometimes quite valuable. This TR reassured me that flying Firefly would be OK... sometimes reading about simple things that don't involve lashings of Krug and caviar can be interesting.
Agree 100%. We have all seem the various F reports to get from one hub to another. Some of us aren't as familiar with the local options to get to final destinations (e.g. NRT-XXX, SIN-XXx, HKG-XXX).
That doesn't mean we don't appreciate the food-focused stuff. So keep that coming!
That doesn't mean we don't appreciate the food-focused stuff. So keep that coming!
Thanks, too2early!
Oct 28, 2015, 7:11 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
Singapore Airlines First Class San Francisco to Seoul
When it comes to air travel, there's still one big decision left to make even after you've decided on your origin and destination, and the airline and class of travel you'll be flying.
That decision? Day-time or night-time flights. There's certainly pros and cons of each.
When you're flying West-bound to Asia from the US, you could argue that the night time flights are actually the most efficient and practical option. The flight leaves around midnight, meaning that after you board you'll have a light meal and then pass out for 8-10 hours. If you're lucky, you'll wake up just in time for a couple movies and another light meal before landing in Asia in the morning. It also means that you can even connect to another destination in Asia and arrive in the afternoon or evening that same day.
But then again, when have "efficient" and "practical" ever been words that were used to describe the decision-making process of a Flyertalker?
The biggest benefit of the day-time flights is that you are actually awake during most of the flight, and therefore able to really enjoy the First Class experience. Also, on Singapore Airlines, the timing of the flights means that you'll get the real First Class dining experience rather than the watered-down "supper" service on the night flights.
Lucky for me, I had the option of both the SFO-HKG-SIN night flight or the SFO-ICN-SIN daytime flight. Since I'd taken the night option before, I went for the latter this time around.
After the hour-long delay everything had been sorted out and we were all ready to board the sleek Boeing 777-300ER that would be taking us to Seoul, and then onward to Singapore.
We were the first to board and got settled into the middle seats in row 1. This brought on a bit of nostalgia, as these were the exact same seats on the same type of plane that we had for our very first long-haul First Class flight back in 2012. Since then we've tried dozens of premium cabin products, but I'll always have a soft spot for this particular one.
Singapore Airlines is beginning to refurbish it's First Class cabins, but unfortunately our flight today would feature the old seats.
The seats are about as wide as you'll find on any plane, and even though they are open, still provide a tremendous amount of privacy. It also helped that the cabin was just 3/8 full, and we actually moved back to the 2nd row so that we could an entire row to ourselves.
No complaints about the legroom either, and I'd forgotten how large the television screen was. However, the Krisworld entertainment system was a bit of a letdown, especially after you've been spoiled with the massive selections on other systems like Emirates' ICE.
The crew came by to introduce themselves and started the process of showering us with swag. First up, Bose noise-canceling headphones.
Next up, pajamas. Apparently some folks on Flyertalk were rankled that the pajamas were no longer Givenchy-branded and now simply have "Singapore Airlines" sewn on the tag. Maybe they were planning to wear them on the red carpet at fashion week.
And lastly, Ferragmo-branded amenity kit and toiletries.
While most airlines put their state-of-the-art premium cabin product on larger planes like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, it also means that there are usually a lot of passengers on-board. The Boeing 777 with just 8 First Class seats definitely had more of a boutique hotel experience rather than a mega-resort, and in turn that allowed the flight attendant to provide a more personalized experience.
That dynamic was evidenced on our Singapore Suites flight earlier this year, which frankly failed to impress. Today's crew was the complete opposite and while they had an advantage due to the light capacity, they were hands-down the best crew we have ever had on a flight.
Lastly, menus were distributed and even though we had used the Book the Cook feature for all of our meals, in my experience the flight attendants have always tried to accommodate if you'd prefer something on the menu instead. Or in my case, in addition to.
The first page contained the celebrity chef of the month's recommendations.
The flight attendant profusely apologized that there was no smoked duck loaded on today's flight, but instead could offer caviar. That'll do!
And the snack menu, which I always find myself visiting on flights of more than a few hours.
We had also Booked the Cook for our light meal prior to landing, and nothing here stood out as worthy of swapping out.
And the wine and cocktail list for reference - as usual, both Dom and Krug were offered.
And a rather impressive selection of coffee.
The meal got started with some warm candied nuts.
Followed by a nice, large helping of caviar.
I opted for the double boiled oxtail soup which was fantastic. Often times I've found the soups to be among the tastiest components of the First Class dining experience, so make sure not to skip it.
Then a refreshing salad.
And then the main event, my incredibly cheesy Boston Lobster Thermidor.
I was already stuffed at this point, but the finish line was in sight and I couldn't give up just yet. A selection of cheeses and fruits.
I'm glad I made it to the end, since the reward was one of the best desserts I've had, whether on air, land, or sea. A white peach parfait along with a mango sorbet.
Lunch wrapped up about 2 hours after take-off, and the sun was still shining bright over the Pacific Ocean.
Fat and happy, I settled into my seat and fired up a couple of movies. Eventually I decided that I'd try to sleep, even though I knew that I wouldn't be able to. I jumped into the bathroom to freshen up and requested turn down service.
The bathrooms were well-stocked and kept extremely clean throughout the flight.
There was a drawer in the bathroom filled with amenities such as toothbrush and shaving kits.
I returned to my seat and jumped into bed.
As I mentioned above, with day-time flights, while you're awake to enjoy the First Class experience the downside is that for a light-sleeper like myself, you will literally be awake the entire time. So by the time we landed in Seoul, it was around 2AM local time back in the US and I was exhausted.
The food coma didn't help, since I had a "light" meal just before landing that was anything but light. Starting with a refreshing caprese salad.
Followed by a delicious seafood chowder that was much heavier than the soup from my last meal. This could probably serve as a proper lunch on its own.
And then the sea bass which was pretty good, although I wasn't a fan of the sauce.
And finally, a completely unnecessary panna cotta with Grand Marnier to put the finishing touches on 12 hours of pure gluttony.
We touched down in Seoul and I was actually looking forward to the 20-minute walk through the airport, if anything, to help me digest in anticipation of more food to come on the next flight.
Overall, this was one of the best flights I've ever had, and the service went above and beyond the levels one can expect from a top-notch airline like Singapore Airlines. This was really the first time that we were simply blown away by the crew, who made our flight so incredible enjoyable, so a big thanks to them once again!
That decision? Day-time or night-time flights. There's certainly pros and cons of each.
When you're flying West-bound to Asia from the US, you could argue that the night time flights are actually the most efficient and practical option. The flight leaves around midnight, meaning that after you board you'll have a light meal and then pass out for 8-10 hours. If you're lucky, you'll wake up just in time for a couple movies and another light meal before landing in Asia in the morning. It also means that you can even connect to another destination in Asia and arrive in the afternoon or evening that same day.
But then again, when have "efficient" and "practical" ever been words that were used to describe the decision-making process of a Flyertalker?
The biggest benefit of the day-time flights is that you are actually awake during most of the flight, and therefore able to really enjoy the First Class experience. Also, on Singapore Airlines, the timing of the flights means that you'll get the real First Class dining experience rather than the watered-down "supper" service on the night flights.
Lucky for me, I had the option of both the SFO-HKG-SIN night flight or the SFO-ICN-SIN daytime flight. Since I'd taken the night option before, I went for the latter this time around.
After the hour-long delay everything had been sorted out and we were all ready to board the sleek Boeing 777-300ER that would be taking us to Seoul, and then onward to Singapore.
We were the first to board and got settled into the middle seats in row 1. This brought on a bit of nostalgia, as these were the exact same seats on the same type of plane that we had for our very first long-haul First Class flight back in 2012. Since then we've tried dozens of premium cabin products, but I'll always have a soft spot for this particular one.
Singapore Airlines is beginning to refurbish it's First Class cabins, but unfortunately our flight today would feature the old seats.
The seats are about as wide as you'll find on any plane, and even though they are open, still provide a tremendous amount of privacy. It also helped that the cabin was just 3/8 full, and we actually moved back to the 2nd row so that we could an entire row to ourselves.
No complaints about the legroom either, and I'd forgotten how large the television screen was. However, the Krisworld entertainment system was a bit of a letdown, especially after you've been spoiled with the massive selections on other systems like Emirates' ICE.
The crew came by to introduce themselves and started the process of showering us with swag. First up, Bose noise-canceling headphones.
Next up, pajamas. Apparently some folks on Flyertalk were rankled that the pajamas were no longer Givenchy-branded and now simply have "Singapore Airlines" sewn on the tag. Maybe they were planning to wear them on the red carpet at fashion week.
And lastly, Ferragmo-branded amenity kit and toiletries.
While most airlines put their state-of-the-art premium cabin product on larger planes like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, it also means that there are usually a lot of passengers on-board. The Boeing 777 with just 8 First Class seats definitely had more of a boutique hotel experience rather than a mega-resort, and in turn that allowed the flight attendant to provide a more personalized experience.
That dynamic was evidenced on our Singapore Suites flight earlier this year, which frankly failed to impress. Today's crew was the complete opposite and while they had an advantage due to the light capacity, they were hands-down the best crew we have ever had on a flight.
Lastly, menus were distributed and even though we had used the Book the Cook feature for all of our meals, in my experience the flight attendants have always tried to accommodate if you'd prefer something on the menu instead. Or in my case, in addition to.
The first page contained the celebrity chef of the month's recommendations.
The flight attendant profusely apologized that there was no smoked duck loaded on today's flight, but instead could offer caviar. That'll do!
And the snack menu, which I always find myself visiting on flights of more than a few hours.
We had also Booked the Cook for our light meal prior to landing, and nothing here stood out as worthy of swapping out.
And the wine and cocktail list for reference - as usual, both Dom and Krug were offered.
And a rather impressive selection of coffee.
The meal got started with some warm candied nuts.
Followed by a nice, large helping of caviar.
I opted for the double boiled oxtail soup which was fantastic. Often times I've found the soups to be among the tastiest components of the First Class dining experience, so make sure not to skip it.
Then a refreshing salad.
And then the main event, my incredibly cheesy Boston Lobster Thermidor.
I was already stuffed at this point, but the finish line was in sight and I couldn't give up just yet. A selection of cheeses and fruits.
I'm glad I made it to the end, since the reward was one of the best desserts I've had, whether on air, land, or sea. A white peach parfait along with a mango sorbet.
Lunch wrapped up about 2 hours after take-off, and the sun was still shining bright over the Pacific Ocean.
Fat and happy, I settled into my seat and fired up a couple of movies. Eventually I decided that I'd try to sleep, even though I knew that I wouldn't be able to. I jumped into the bathroom to freshen up and requested turn down service.
The bathrooms were well-stocked and kept extremely clean throughout the flight.
There was a drawer in the bathroom filled with amenities such as toothbrush and shaving kits.
I returned to my seat and jumped into bed.
As I mentioned above, with day-time flights, while you're awake to enjoy the First Class experience the downside is that for a light-sleeper like myself, you will literally be awake the entire time. So by the time we landed in Seoul, it was around 2AM local time back in the US and I was exhausted.
The food coma didn't help, since I had a "light" meal just before landing that was anything but light. Starting with a refreshing caprese salad.
Followed by a delicious seafood chowder that was much heavier than the soup from my last meal. This could probably serve as a proper lunch on its own.
And then the sea bass which was pretty good, although I wasn't a fan of the sauce.
And finally, a completely unnecessary panna cotta with Grand Marnier to put the finishing touches on 12 hours of pure gluttony.
We touched down in Seoul and I was actually looking forward to the 20-minute walk through the airport, if anything, to help me digest in anticipation of more food to come on the next flight.
Overall, this was one of the best flights I've ever had, and the service went above and beyond the levels one can expect from a top-notch airline like Singapore Airlines. This was really the first time that we were simply blown away by the crew, who made our flight so incredible enjoyable, so a big thanks to them once again!
Oct 28, 2015, 7:15 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
It sure was, and didn't realize it was there until now, so it went from the wonton into my stomach!
Oct 28, 2015, 10:47 pm
#24
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: QF Plat / OWE (Lifetime Gold), Aeroplan SE, HHonors Gold, Marriot Bonvoy Gold, Avis Pres't Circle
Posts: 374
Terrific report, and a traveller after my own heart too. I think food is a terrific insight into so much of other cultures and lives. Every element teaches you something about the place. This is particularly so in places where food is an obsession (eg, Singapore, Thailand and Japan).
Black pepper crab is to die for! I've had it served with thin noodles sitting under the crab, soaking up the "sauce". Swoon.
I cannot get enough laksa. Fortunately for my waistline, the best laksa in Australia is in Sydney. When I lived there I had it nearly every day for lunch. The place that serves it is an unprepossessing but legendary place in the CBD called Malay-Chinese. It comes in a big bowl, with a delicious soup base (just the right amount of coconut milk), firm vermicelli noodles and you can add a big spoonful of the house chilli sauce which is incredible. More swooning.
One of my friends in Singapore became so addicted to the laksa just around the corner from he lived and worked he had to go to the doctor and ask whether he had a problem! I can't remember the name of the place he went nearly every day but the laksa there was amazing.
I adore eating at the Singapore hawker markets. My crazy food-obsessed Singapore friends spend hours arguing about where we will go for one particular dish. I am never disappointed. They are quite funny because everything I eat in Singapore seems to taste perfect to me, and they say things like "it's OK, but it should have more/less...".
Did you have cha kway teoh while you were in Singapore? There are some fine examples of that dish there. And kaya toast - OMG, kaya toast. Toasted white bread, no crusts, a thick cold butter slab and coconut jam. With teh tarik or kopi tarik. Too delicious for words...
Long live our appetites, and may our shadows never grow less.
Black pepper crab is to die for! I've had it served with thin noodles sitting under the crab, soaking up the "sauce". Swoon.
I cannot get enough laksa. Fortunately for my waistline, the best laksa in Australia is in Sydney. When I lived there I had it nearly every day for lunch. The place that serves it is an unprepossessing but legendary place in the CBD called Malay-Chinese. It comes in a big bowl, with a delicious soup base (just the right amount of coconut milk), firm vermicelli noodles and you can add a big spoonful of the house chilli sauce which is incredible. More swooning.
One of my friends in Singapore became so addicted to the laksa just around the corner from he lived and worked he had to go to the doctor and ask whether he had a problem! I can't remember the name of the place he went nearly every day but the laksa there was amazing.
I adore eating at the Singapore hawker markets. My crazy food-obsessed Singapore friends spend hours arguing about where we will go for one particular dish. I am never disappointed. They are quite funny because everything I eat in Singapore seems to taste perfect to me, and they say things like "it's OK, but it should have more/less...".
Did you have cha kway teoh while you were in Singapore? There are some fine examples of that dish there. And kaya toast - OMG, kaya toast. Toasted white bread, no crusts, a thick cold butter slab and coconut jam. With teh tarik or kopi tarik. Too delicious for words...
Long live our appetites, and may our shadows never grow less.
Oct 29, 2015, 2:08 am
#26
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Geneva, Dubai, Paris
Programs: Disillusioned Cent
Posts: 1,880
Very much enjoying this TR, sfoactuary! Food, planes (and great hotels) are also the elements I enjoy the most in a trip. My last chili crab in Singapore was on the terrace of the Palm Beach restaurant. Don't know what was hotter, the temperatures or the crab.
Oct 29, 2015, 3:16 pm
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
Singapore Airlines First Class Seoul to Singapore
Even though we'd be taking the same plane and even sitting in the same seats from Seoul to Singapore, there was no way to stay on the plane during the layover. Believe me, I tried my best to convince the crew that they could just leave a bottle of Dom, and I would be more than happy to entertain myself for the next hour.
We were half-awake and somewhat delirious by the time we landed and my wife decided not to change out of her pajamas. So of course that gave me a free pass to follow her around and scream "shame, shame!".
To Singapore Airline's credit, this was one of the most organized airport connections I've ever made. After de-planing, you're basically herded through the airport like cattle, with attendants standing around every 10 feet shouting "Singapore passengers, this way!". The process from start to finish only took about 20 minutes, and to be honest it was actually a nice opportunity to stretch our legs.
We got to the gate early and waited around another 20 minutes before it was time to board again. We started with our original seats in row 1, and with the load at just 3/8 again, we moved back to row 2 once more.
By the time it was time to eat, it had only been a couple hours since my last meal and to be honest, I was still pretty darn full. But some celebrity chef named Matt wanted me to eat more, and I wasn't going to say no.
And this wasn't going to be the watered-down supper service. It was the real deal, an 8-course dinner.
We had some satay to kick things off, which was every bit as good as what we had at Lau Pa Sat a few days later.
Next up, Balik salmon which was a nice alternative to having caviar again #firstworldproblems.
I opted for the chicken and sweet corn dumpling soup which was probably my least favorite of the three soups I had on the flights, and wasn't a huge fan of the salad either.
I had actually Booked the Cook once again for this meal, but the Ssambab jumped out as a nice break from a 3rd seafood dish in a row. This was quite delicious, and definitely a step up from the equivalent bibimbap meal that is often served in First Class on many airlines like Korean Air and Asiana.
And if you're going to indulge, you can't skip dessert. Not quite as good as the mango sorbet on the last flight, but much more decadent.
The total flight time was around 6 hours which left time for a movie after the meal, but unfortunately still no sleep. At this point, I had essentially pulled an all-niter since it was around 10AM local time. I'm pretty sure that I started to hallucinate a bit, but maybe that was all the Dom and Krug swishing around in my stomach.
Around 1AM Singapore time we began out descent into Changi.
For a second, the immigration hall was so empty that I thought the world had ended while we were on the flight, and I was about to enter a Walking Dead situation...note to self: really need to lay off the champagne next time. Immigration literally took 30 seconds and we had carried on our bags, so within minutes we were in a taxi en route to the Conrad.
Overall, our flights from San Francisco to Singapore on Singapore Airlines couldn't have been any better. As I mentioned in the previous section, in some ways I actually preferred the smaller cabin on the Boeing 777 to that of the A380. While that means you'll be "slumming" it in the standard First Class seats as opposed to the Suites, they're nothing to scoff at, and the trade-off is that you'll have a better chance of receiving exceptional service.
We were half-awake and somewhat delirious by the time we landed and my wife decided not to change out of her pajamas. So of course that gave me a free pass to follow her around and scream "shame, shame!".
To Singapore Airline's credit, this was one of the most organized airport connections I've ever made. After de-planing, you're basically herded through the airport like cattle, with attendants standing around every 10 feet shouting "Singapore passengers, this way!". The process from start to finish only took about 20 minutes, and to be honest it was actually a nice opportunity to stretch our legs.
We got to the gate early and waited around another 20 minutes before it was time to board again. We started with our original seats in row 1, and with the load at just 3/8 again, we moved back to row 2 once more.
By the time it was time to eat, it had only been a couple hours since my last meal and to be honest, I was still pretty darn full. But some celebrity chef named Matt wanted me to eat more, and I wasn't going to say no.
And this wasn't going to be the watered-down supper service. It was the real deal, an 8-course dinner.
We had some satay to kick things off, which was every bit as good as what we had at Lau Pa Sat a few days later.
Next up, Balik salmon which was a nice alternative to having caviar again #firstworldproblems.
I opted for the chicken and sweet corn dumpling soup which was probably my least favorite of the three soups I had on the flights, and wasn't a huge fan of the salad either.
I had actually Booked the Cook once again for this meal, but the Ssambab jumped out as a nice break from a 3rd seafood dish in a row. This was quite delicious, and definitely a step up from the equivalent bibimbap meal that is often served in First Class on many airlines like Korean Air and Asiana.
And if you're going to indulge, you can't skip dessert. Not quite as good as the mango sorbet on the last flight, but much more decadent.
The total flight time was around 6 hours which left time for a movie after the meal, but unfortunately still no sleep. At this point, I had essentially pulled an all-niter since it was around 10AM local time. I'm pretty sure that I started to hallucinate a bit, but maybe that was all the Dom and Krug swishing around in my stomach.
Around 1AM Singapore time we began out descent into Changi.
For a second, the immigration hall was so empty that I thought the world had ended while we were on the flight, and I was about to enter a Walking Dead situation...note to self: really need to lay off the champagne next time. Immigration literally took 30 seconds and we had carried on our bags, so within minutes we were in a taxi en route to the Conrad.
Overall, our flights from San Francisco to Singapore on Singapore Airlines couldn't have been any better. As I mentioned in the previous section, in some ways I actually preferred the smaller cabin on the Boeing 777 to that of the A380. While that means you'll be "slumming" it in the standard First Class seats as opposed to the Suites, they're nothing to scoff at, and the trade-off is that you'll have a better chance of receiving exceptional service.
Oct 29, 2015, 3:29 pm
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
Conrad Singapore
I've heard this sentiment shared by many others and I'd tend to agree. Singapore is a frustrating hotel market.
While there's a nice mix of boutique and chain options, the prices are in no-man's land. In other words, they aren't expensive enough to feel like you'd get a good deal by using points, but they're expensive enough that you'd consider using points rather than shelling out cash.
So after doing quite a bit of research, I ended up settling on the Conrad since I was able to leverage the "Discover Asia" promotion to get 40% off the standard prices which tipped the scales away from using points.
We pulled up into the driveway around 2AM and stepped into the completely empty lobby.
I had emailed the hotel in advance to advise of our late arrival, mainly to ensure that I wouldn't be arriving only to be shown the door to another hotel.
Check-in just took a moment and we were informed of our upgrade from the entry-level room to the Deluxe room. This hotel is notoriously stingy with upgrades, and sticks to just 1-category upgrades regardless of status. So if you want to be potentailly upgraded to an Executive room, you'll need to book the Deluxe room at a minimum.
At this point we are Conrad veterans, so in a lot of ways the room, the decor, and the style felt familiar to us. But this was definitely one of the least impressive Conrad hotels we've stayed at, and the room was beginning to show its age.
The room had a nice workstation, but unfortunately this was also one of the only power outlets in the entire room which was a bit annoying. Literally, all the other power outlets in the room were inaccessible, either by virtue of poor design or as a feature that was simply overlooked.
On the side table there were the standard Conrad animals waiting for us, along with a fruit plate and chocolates.
As much as I wanted to jump right into bed, since I'd been traveling, before sleeping the germa-phobe in me required that I take a shower.
The bathroom was huge and featured a large tub. One of the best feelings is a piping hot shower after a long day of traveling.
The standard Aromatherapy Associates toiletries were provided.
On the desk there was a welcome letter which I typically just throw away, since it always contains the same information. I'm glad I took a closer look, since the Deluxe room upgrade came with a couple unique perks, including a $20 SGD daily laundry credit and complimentary shoe shine.
Now, I rarely ever utilize laundry services at the hotel, since you can usually buy a new outfit for the outrageous prices that that they charge. But I was happy to be able to wash a couple items of clothing per day, which was especially useful given the insanely hot and humid weather.
After a good night's sleep, we headed downstairs to the pool restaurant for the breakfast buffet. The breakfast buffet was located right next to the pool and the gym, and we witnessed no fewer than 10 people already working out.
We had big eating plans in Singapore and had even discussed skipping the hotel breakfasts altogether so that we could eat out more. But at the end of the day, free is free. We tried to exercise some restraint, which wasn't hard to do since the breakfast was pretty average.
The buffet featured a nice mix of Western and Asian items including an omelet bar and dim sum.
In particular, I really enjoyed the chawanmushi egg which were freshly made.
The bread station looked quite sad and was barely touched, and there was also an Indian station that got even less action.
Again, this wasn't the best buffet we've ever had but it was convenient and free, so who am I to complain?
As I mentioned the buffet was next to the pool, which provided a great reprieve from the heat. As a bonus, it featured a great view of the Singapore Flyer.
The gym featured a range of equipment and was constantly in use by the clientele at the hotel.
The hotel's location was pretty good since it's just a few minutes away from the MRT. Taxis were also relatively cheap option and it was easy to catch one from the hotel, although we had to wait up to 5-10 minutes at times.
It does take a day or so to learn how to navigate the maze from the hotel to the MRT, which took you through a shopping mall and then through an office building.
Since the Singapore F1 race was just around the corner, we also got a sneak peak of the festivities with a constant stream of supercars parked outside the hotel.
Overall, the Conrad Singapore was a solid hotel that presents good value to Hilton loyalists, especially if you're able to capitalize on a sale. However, within the Conrad brand and among the Conrads we've stayed at in the past, this one probably ranks lowest.
While there's a nice mix of boutique and chain options, the prices are in no-man's land. In other words, they aren't expensive enough to feel like you'd get a good deal by using points, but they're expensive enough that you'd consider using points rather than shelling out cash.
So after doing quite a bit of research, I ended up settling on the Conrad since I was able to leverage the "Discover Asia" promotion to get 40% off the standard prices which tipped the scales away from using points.
We pulled up into the driveway around 2AM and stepped into the completely empty lobby.
I had emailed the hotel in advance to advise of our late arrival, mainly to ensure that I wouldn't be arriving only to be shown the door to another hotel.
Check-in just took a moment and we were informed of our upgrade from the entry-level room to the Deluxe room. This hotel is notoriously stingy with upgrades, and sticks to just 1-category upgrades regardless of status. So if you want to be potentailly upgraded to an Executive room, you'll need to book the Deluxe room at a minimum.
At this point we are Conrad veterans, so in a lot of ways the room, the decor, and the style felt familiar to us. But this was definitely one of the least impressive Conrad hotels we've stayed at, and the room was beginning to show its age.
The room had a nice workstation, but unfortunately this was also one of the only power outlets in the entire room which was a bit annoying. Literally, all the other power outlets in the room were inaccessible, either by virtue of poor design or as a feature that was simply overlooked.
On the side table there were the standard Conrad animals waiting for us, along with a fruit plate and chocolates.
As much as I wanted to jump right into bed, since I'd been traveling, before sleeping the germa-phobe in me required that I take a shower.
The bathroom was huge and featured a large tub. One of the best feelings is a piping hot shower after a long day of traveling.
The standard Aromatherapy Associates toiletries were provided.
On the desk there was a welcome letter which I typically just throw away, since it always contains the same information. I'm glad I took a closer look, since the Deluxe room upgrade came with a couple unique perks, including a $20 SGD daily laundry credit and complimentary shoe shine.
Now, I rarely ever utilize laundry services at the hotel, since you can usually buy a new outfit for the outrageous prices that that they charge. But I was happy to be able to wash a couple items of clothing per day, which was especially useful given the insanely hot and humid weather.
After a good night's sleep, we headed downstairs to the pool restaurant for the breakfast buffet. The breakfast buffet was located right next to the pool and the gym, and we witnessed no fewer than 10 people already working out.
We had big eating plans in Singapore and had even discussed skipping the hotel breakfasts altogether so that we could eat out more. But at the end of the day, free is free. We tried to exercise some restraint, which wasn't hard to do since the breakfast was pretty average.
The buffet featured a nice mix of Western and Asian items including an omelet bar and dim sum.
In particular, I really enjoyed the chawanmushi egg which were freshly made.
The bread station looked quite sad and was barely touched, and there was also an Indian station that got even less action.
Again, this wasn't the best buffet we've ever had but it was convenient and free, so who am I to complain?
As I mentioned the buffet was next to the pool, which provided a great reprieve from the heat. As a bonus, it featured a great view of the Singapore Flyer.
The gym featured a range of equipment and was constantly in use by the clientele at the hotel.
The hotel's location was pretty good since it's just a few minutes away from the MRT. Taxis were also relatively cheap option and it was easy to catch one from the hotel, although we had to wait up to 5-10 minutes at times.
It does take a day or so to learn how to navigate the maze from the hotel to the MRT, which took you through a shopping mall and then through an office building.
Since the Singapore F1 race was just around the corner, we also got a sneak peak of the festivities with a constant stream of supercars parked outside the hotel.
Overall, the Conrad Singapore was a solid hotel that presents good value to Hilton loyalists, especially if you're able to capitalize on a sale. However, within the Conrad brand and among the Conrads we've stayed at in the past, this one probably ranks lowest.
Oct 29, 2015, 3:36 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
Terrific report, and a traveller after my own heart too. I think food is a terrific insight into so much of other cultures and lives. Every element teaches you something about the place. This is particularly so in places where food is an obsession (eg, Singapore, Thailand and Japan).
Black pepper crab is to die for! I've had it served with thin noodles sitting under the crab, soaking up the "sauce". Swoon.
I cannot get enough laksa. Fortunately for my waistline, the best laksa in Australia is in Sydney. When I lived there I had it nearly every day for lunch. The place that serves it is an unprepossessing but legendary place in the CBD called Malay-Chinese. It comes in a big bowl, with a delicious soup base (just the right amount of coconut milk), firm vermicelli noodles and you can add a big spoonful of the house chilli sauce which is incredible. More swooning.
One of my friends in Singapore became so addicted to the laksa just around the corner from he lived and worked he had to go to the doctor and ask whether he had a problem! I can't remember the name of the place he went nearly every day but the laksa there was amazing.
I adore eating at the Singapore hawker markets. My crazy food-obsessed Singapore friends spend hours arguing about where we will go for one particular dish. I am never disappointed. They are quite funny because everything I eat in Singapore seems to taste perfect to me, and they say things like "it's OK, but it should have more/less...".
Did you have cha kway teoh while you were in Singapore? There are some fine examples of that dish there. And kaya toast - OMG, kaya toast. Toasted white bread, no crusts, a thick cold butter slab and coconut jam. With teh tarik or kopi tarik. Too delicious for words...
Long live our appetites, and may our shadows never grow less.
Black pepper crab is to die for! I've had it served with thin noodles sitting under the crab, soaking up the "sauce". Swoon.
I cannot get enough laksa. Fortunately for my waistline, the best laksa in Australia is in Sydney. When I lived there I had it nearly every day for lunch. The place that serves it is an unprepossessing but legendary place in the CBD called Malay-Chinese. It comes in a big bowl, with a delicious soup base (just the right amount of coconut milk), firm vermicelli noodles and you can add a big spoonful of the house chilli sauce which is incredible. More swooning.
One of my friends in Singapore became so addicted to the laksa just around the corner from he lived and worked he had to go to the doctor and ask whether he had a problem! I can't remember the name of the place he went nearly every day but the laksa there was amazing.
I adore eating at the Singapore hawker markets. My crazy food-obsessed Singapore friends spend hours arguing about where we will go for one particular dish. I am never disappointed. They are quite funny because everything I eat in Singapore seems to taste perfect to me, and they say things like "it's OK, but it should have more/less...".
Did you have cha kway teoh while you were in Singapore? There are some fine examples of that dish there. And kaya toast - OMG, kaya toast. Toasted white bread, no crusts, a thick cold butter slab and coconut jam. With teh tarik or kopi tarik. Too delicious for words...
Long live our appetites, and may our shadows never grow less.
I did try the kway teow at the Chinatown food center and loved it, we didn't really come across a single thing in Singapore that wasn't at least very, very good. Will definitely need to plan another trip because 4 days was simply not enough time to indulge.
Oct 29, 2015, 10:13 pm
#30
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: QF Plat / OWE (Lifetime Gold), Aeroplan SE, HHonors Gold, Marriot Bonvoy Gold, Avis Pres't Circle
Posts: 374
Cheers sfoactuary!
The Malay Chinese restaurant is at 50-58 Hunter Street, Sydney. The laksa, special of the day (usually something like har mee or another soup), hor fun, cha kway teow (they get the wok hei right on this dish here, which for me means a bit of dark, almost burnt caramelisation) are all terrific. I think I had the satay once many years ago and it was good too. There are dishes in the bain marie at lunchtime and I think some of the Malaysian curries are OK. But nearly everyone is ordering laksa, the special or hor fun. There is always a long queue at lunchtime but it moves quickly. Everyone looks furtively at people sitting down and swoop in like seagulls fighting over a chip when a seat becomes free.
Because I get to go relatively infrequently nowadays, I always order chicken laksa (never skin free; sometimes drumstick only as I like dark meat but that is of course the more expensive option; if I am feeling indulgent I will have it with extra fried bean curd. And finished off with a big (heaped tablespoon) of the fiery chilli sauce that sits in a big earthenware pot at the counter where you help yourself).
The Malay Chinese restaurant is at 50-58 Hunter Street, Sydney. The laksa, special of the day (usually something like har mee or another soup), hor fun, cha kway teow (they get the wok hei right on this dish here, which for me means a bit of dark, almost burnt caramelisation) are all terrific. I think I had the satay once many years ago and it was good too. There are dishes in the bain marie at lunchtime and I think some of the Malaysian curries are OK. But nearly everyone is ordering laksa, the special or hor fun. There is always a long queue at lunchtime but it moves quickly. Everyone looks furtively at people sitting down and swoop in like seagulls fighting over a chip when a seat becomes free.
Because I get to go relatively infrequently nowadays, I always order chicken laksa (never skin free; sometimes drumstick only as I like dark meat but that is of course the more expensive option; if I am feeling indulgent I will have it with extra fried bean curd. And finished off with a big (heaped tablespoon) of the fiery chilli sauce that sits in a big earthenware pot at the counter where you help yourself).